A federal judge has tossed out a lawsuit against Bryn Mawr College accusing the liberal arts school in Lower Merion of “deliberate indifference” to the needs of students with disabilities.
Former and current students failed to show Bryn Mawr “deprived them of accommodations for virtual learning, dietary needs, and academic assistance,” Judge Mark A. Kearney wrote last week, adding that “the students did not offer anything more than their say-so.”
The ruling affirms the integrity of the college’s processes to evaluate and implement reasonable accommodations, according to a statement by Samara Sit, Bryn Mawr’s vice president for communications and marketing.
“Bryn Mawr College takes our responsibility to provide accessible learning and living environments very seriously,” Sit said.
Eden Quainton, the attorney representing the students, said in a statement that he disagrees with the decision and intends to appeal.
Six current and former Bryn Mawr students sued the school in May, alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The proposed class-action lawsuit, filed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, asked for changes in the college’s accommodations policies and unspecified monetary damages.
Kearney allowed the claims of one current student and two former students to proceed last September. They alleged that Bryn Mawr failed to accommodate their dietary restrictions, allow for virtual learning, and provide transportation.
“But the students have not progressed beyond aspirational allegations of what they would like the college to provide and then conclude the absence of these accommodations breaches promises in the handbook,” Kearney wrote.
Bryn Mawr has a policy requiring all students to attend in-person classes, and a former student’s request to attend classes virtually requires the college to “fundamentally alter its long-established program,” the judge wrote.
Other claims fell apart on specific details.
One former student claimed the college failed to provide access to an expansive gluten-free menu they required for celiac disease. But the student had never been diagnosed with the disease.
Another claimed Bryn Mawr discriminated against her when failing to provide her priority registration for class, even though she never requested that accommodation.
“A private entity like the College cannot make a reasonable accommodation for a student unless the College knows about the student’s disability or need for an accommodation,” Kearney wrote.